The Catch-up: Shoreham airshow pilot cleared over crash that killed 11 people
What happened?
The pilot who crashed his plane during the Shoreham airshow, killing 11 men, was cleared of manslaughter today. Andrew Hill was flying a Hawker Hunter jet at the show on August 22, 2015 when it exploded into a fireball as he attempted a loop. Speaking outside the Old Bailey following the verdict, Mr Hill read out the names of those who died and said: “I’m truly sorry for the part I played in their deaths.”
How did the crash happen?
As Mr Hill attempted the stunt, the aircraft instead slammed into the road below and immediately burst into flames. He survived after being thrown clear from the burning wreckage, but the crash left 11 dead and others with terrible burns. The prosecution said the former RAF and British Airways pilot had been flying too low and slow as he attempted the loop. But Mr Hill claimed he blacked out in the air, experiencing ‘cognitive impairment’ brought on by hypoxia, possibly due to the effects of G-force.
What did the survivors say?
Some of those injured in the blast gave astonishing testimony to the trial, describing the scenes of devastation. Grandfather Paul Snellgrove was watching the show with his family. He said: “I started to feel a burning sensation down my face. I was in absolute agony. My daughter said: ‘Dad, your face and ears are gone’. I shouted ‘Run’.”
Software engineer Thomas Milburn, from Worthing, said: “I heard an explosion. I felt a wave of pressure coming towards me. Through my eyelids I saw a bright orange light. I felt extreme heat through my skin. I really thought I was going to die. I thought I would be consumed by burning fuel.”
Read more about this story
Shoreham pilot breaks silence over fatal crash (The Independent)
Shoreham disaster families ‘let down by the justice system’ (The Telegraph)
The harrowing tales of the Shoreham air crash survivors (Yahoo News UK)
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1,000
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